Cook Islands fisherman recounts finding millions in cocaine washed ashore

A routine fishing trip turned into a terrifying ordeal for a fisherman in the remote Cook Islands, who discovered a large package of cocaine worth millions on a reef. The fisherman, who has chosen to remain anonymous for safety reasons, stumbled upon the mysterious find on Mitiaro island on July 28.

His initial reaction was one of intense fear. "I had two thoughts then: first, I thought this could be a human body chopped up... [and] second, I was suddenly worried that I was wrong and this thing was a bomb and if it exploded right now I would die and no one would ever find me," he recounted to RNZ Pacific.

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I had two thoughts then: first, I thought this could be a human body chopped up ... [and] second, I was suddenly worried that I was wrong and this thing was a bomb and if it exploded right now I would die and no one would ever find me.

Cautiously approaching the package, which weighed over 26kg, he poked it with his fishing rod. "So I rolled it to the other side and something fell out; this packet fell out, and that's when it hit me, this was probably drugs." Despite his fear, he left the package and continued fishing, but the discovery weighed heavily on his mind.

Back on shore, concerned that the tide might wash the package away, he reported his find to a local police officer. With the help of two young men, they retrieved the package from the reef. They also found two additional loose packets believed to have broken off from the main bundle. Cook Islands Police have conducted preliminary tests confirming the presence of cocaine. The investigation is ongoing to determine the source of the drugs and their potential connection to wider criminal networks operating in the region.

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So I rolled it to the other side and something fell out; this packet fell out, and that's when it hit me, this was probably drugs.